California Governor Gavin Newsom warned federal judges on Saturday to be ready for possible attempts by President Donald Trump’s administration to seize ballots during the midterm elections. Newsom, a Democrat, sent the warning in a letter to federal judges as California fights the administration’s demand for state voter records.
The Justice Department sought the records as part of a criminal investigation into noncitizen voting. On Friday, a US appeals court rejected the administration’s bid in the case, a ruling that could set up a showdown at the US Supreme Court.
Separately, a federal judge ordered the Justice Department to stop threatening to prosecute state and local election officials in California who refuse to comply with the administration’s election-related demands.
Newsom wrote that he had “grave concerns federal agents will seek search warrants to seize ballots and ballot materials before the election results are certified.” He added that the only reason to use search warrants would be to interfere in the state’s lawful counting of ballots and certifying of results.
The administration has alleged that more than 20,000 noncitizens are registered to vote in California. The state and many experts have questioned the validity of that list, and the Justice Department has not said how many of the people on it have actually cast ballots. California has said the department’s assertions relied on “suspect data” and that complying with its demands would risk disenfranchising eligible voters.
Source: Reuters
